Rise of high barrier packaging films in the food packaging industry

Rise of high barrier packaging films in the food packaging industry

The journey of food from farm to plate can be a tricky one, with chances of food spoilage in the course of being picked, packaged, transported, and stored. In handling food products for such a long period of time without compromising the quality, the most important factor is its packaging. It is of utmost importance to provide all relevant barrier properties (Moisture, Gas and Aroma), to keep the products integrity intact. Barrier Films play a major role to extend the shelf-life of the product, also helping to make the structure completely recyclable with all layers belonging to the same family of polymers.

Barrier films have an impermeable co-extruded & flexible structure (single or multiple layers) which is solvent-free, and doesn’t react with the packaged food. It helps prevent contact with oxygen, carbon dioxide or moisture, while restraining migration of mineral oil and UV light. This stringent barrier, crafted using specialized materials, also retains the properties of food such as color, taste, texture, aroma and flavor.

Cosmo Films have engineered BOPP based Barrier Films, which not only extends the shelf-life of food products but also protects them against intrinsic (food itself, nutrients, water activity, pH, redox potential) and extrinsic factors (atmospheric gases, temperature, other microbial flora, relative humidity).

Some of the prime characteristics for Cosmo Films’ range of Barrier Films are-

It facilitates the reduction of packaging material through laminate rationalization (3 layers lamination to 2 layers lamination structure).

• It replaces aluminum foil with a BOPP/ CPP based film in a multi-layered structure, which offers equivalent MVTR (Moisture Vapor Transmission Rate) and OTR (Oxygen Transmission Rate).
• Provides excellent aroma barrier, and are specially designed to provide aroma preservation to FMCG’s products like tea, coffee and rice packs.
• Provides excellent moisture and gas barrier properties
• Improves productivity by enabling FFS machines to run at a higher speed due to High Hot Tack and Low SIT properties.
• Provides excellent dimensional stability and stiffness.
• Gives amazing machinability with low seal threshold quality.

Type of Barrier Films

Cosmo Films’ range of barrier films can be categorized as below:

Metalized Barrier Films:

• High Moisture Barrier Films (HMB): These are metalized BOPP barrier films that are corona treated on both sides and can be used for duplex as well as for sandwich lamination in snack foods, shampoo sachets, dry milk powder and powdered drinks sachets/packs, where loss of moisture is a concern.
• High Speed Barrier Films with High Hot Tack (HSB): These BOPP metalized moisture and oxygen barrier films have a High Hot Tack and Low SIT which enables FFS machines to run at a higher speed, thus helping improve productivity.
• High Seal Strength Barrier Films (HSS): These BOPP metalized moisture and oxygen barrier films have been specially designed for packaging applications requiring high seal strengths.
• Ultra High Barrier Films (UHB): These BOPP metalized moisture and oxygen barrier films can be used to substitute aluminium foil since they offer a MVTR < 0.15 g/m2.day and OTR< 0.1 cc/m2.day
• High Metal Bond CPP Films (HMBS): These metalized Cast Polypropylene (CPP) films have been specially designed for packaging applications requiring high interlayer bond strength for making multi-layer laminate structures. The film offers high metal bond strength (>400gf/inch).
• High Barrier CPP Films (HB): These metalized CPP films have been designed for applications requiring OTR<30cc/m2.day, MVTR<0.3g/m2.day, high heat seal and hot tack strength.

Transparent Barrier Films:

• Aroma Barrier Films (AB): These are transparent barrier films typically used for coffee/tea, spices, chewing gum and perfume boxes overwrapping.
• Aroma & Oxygen Barrier Films (AOB): These transparent films have both excellent moisture and gas barrier properties and are used for packaging of cream biscuits, chocolates, chips and snacks with some dose of fatty content.
• Ultra High Barrier Films (UHB): These transparent films have excellent moisture, aroma and gas barrier properties and are used to convert 3 layer laminates to 2 layers for packaging of aromatic and fat content rich products like dry fruits, nuts, spices etc. These films also offer mineral oil resistance.

Each product in the FMCG industry has its own characteristics and property, and Cosmo Films’ range of Barrier Films caters to each one of them. Be it providing barriers from moisture and air or keeping the aroma intact, we have a film to solve all your requirements.